In the United States, about 100 young people commit suicide each week, according to Donna Monk, Arkansas State Director of The Jason Foundation.

Monk told parents at Saturday's Parent Institute, held at Russellville Middle School, that suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth between the ages of 15 and 24.

"Suicide attempts are usually because of a dream that's been lost," Monk said. "Sometimes it can be something that seems minor to everyone else, but, to that person, it's meant the loss of a dream.

"We've all experienced that feeling. When you look back on it, it wasn't that big of a deal. But at the time you went through it, it was huge."

Parents should educate themselves about who is at risk to attempt suicide as well as warning signs their children may exhibit, Monk said.

"The key to the prevention of suicide is education," she said. "Four out of five suicide victims gave clear warning signs. That means suicide can be prevented. Knowing what to look for is the first step to prevention because if you don't know about it, you can't do anything about it."

According to Monk, suicide is an epidemic that has and does affect communities in the River Valley. She said Johnson County has one of the highest suicide rates in Arkansas.

Although she was surprised to learn about the number of suicides that have been reported in Johnson County, she said she is not sure what factors might cause the high numbers.

According to the Youth Suicide Prevention Outreach Division, a division of the Arkansas Attorney General's Office, 377 suicides were reported in Arkansas in 2001.

Monk said many suicides can be prevented by taking any threats seriously and reacting quickly.

"Anytime someone threatens suicide, take it seriously," she said.

Two myths about suicide are that people who talk about or threaten suicide rarely commit suicide and that talking to a person about his or her feelings may cause him or her to commit suicide, Monk said.

"People are afraid to talk about it," Monk said. "But what we've found is that if you can get a young person to open up about their feelings, that's a big step in prevention."

Monk said she was also glad to see more schools getting involved in suicide prevention.

"A lot of schools now offer a lot of counseling and intervention programs, and I think that's really important," she said. "But as parents, you don't need to be afraid to seek help if you have a child who has had suicidal thoughts or who has threatened suicide. We find that parents often think of it as a failure on their part, so they don't seek help."

Suicide has also become more prevalent among adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14, according to Monk. She said since 1980, there has been a 128 percent increase in suicides for that age group.

Monk works for The Jason Foundation at Pinnacle Pointe Hospital in Little Rock. The focus of The Jason Foundation is prevention of suicide through education. Monk said the foundation offers a range of programs that include a school-based curriculum for grades 7-12, parent seminars and teacher inservice education. All materials are free of cost.